Fastening device



JUL 14 l947- 0.1.1. PouPrrcH FASTENING DEVICE Filed Ilarch 25, 1943 locking portion Patented Jan. 1'4, 1947 2.414.212 marasma nevica OugljesaJules Ponpitch,

Illinois Tool Works. .tion of Iliinois Chicago, lli., animar to Chicago. lll

Application 25, 1843, Serial N0. 480,483

8 Claims. (Cl. 24-221) This invention relates generally to stud fastening devices and more particularly to a stud fastening-device in which a stud engaging or locking portion thereof is shiftable with respect to a supporting base so as to facilitate initial registration of a fastening stud member.

It has been common practice to use fastening devices such as cowl fasteners and the like for securing sheet members together. For example, in aircraft construction cowling vparts must be arranged so as to enable the convenient lattachment and removal thereof. This is only one example of many instances where a series of stud members carried by one of the work parts must be brought into registration with a complementary series of stud fastening devices carried by the other work .part order to 'secure such parts in fixed relation. It is not uncommon in such instances to vexperience difficulties in effecting the simultaneous registration of the stud members and complementary fasteners. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a fastener device in which the stud receiving portion of the fastener may be shifted within certain limits and thereby .positively assure initial registration of a complementary studA member therewith.

More specifically the invention contemplates a fasteningfdevice in which the stud engaging or directions to bring about the registration of an aperture with respect to a companion stud member.

It is afurther object of the present invention to .provide a stud receiving fastener device as set 'forth above which is not only capable of withstanding the most severe stresses to which such devices are normally subjected in the field, but which is also capable of being economically produced by a number of relatively inexpensive forming and stamping operations. To this end it is proposed to provide a fastener in which at least certain of the parts may be formed from sheet stock. I

It is still a further object ofthe present inmay be shifted in transversel Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two work sheets secured together by -means of a fastening device of the type contemplated by the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the fastening device taken from the rear of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central transverse sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 disclosing the stud member in its tightened or locked position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 disclosing the stud member detached from the stud engaging .portion of the fastener with the work`A pieces slightly separated;

Fig. 6 is van exploded view of the thnee essen,-

tial parts of the stud securing fastener, said parts considered from left portion, the retainer to right being the base member and the stud engaging or locking member; and

Fig. -7 discloses a blank which may be folded or bent so as to produce the stud locking member illustrated at the right of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawing more .in detail vention to provide a fastener of the type referred to above in which the stud engaging or locking part need not be rotated to effect alignment with a stud member but may be shifted linearly in transverse directions to bring about such alignment or registration. l Y n The foregoing'and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, whereinby means of flange wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that the invention contemplates a stud fastening means or device designated generally by the numeral I 0. This device I0 includes a base portion I2 centrally apertured at I4. The diameter of the aperture Ilis suiiicient to accommodate a stud member I8 equipped with a cross-pin or lateral lug |18. This base section or plate I2 is provided with oppositely disposed extensions or ears i2a having apertures 20 for accommodating suitable fastening elements such as rivets 22. Figs. 2 and 3. The material of the base extensions i2a in the vicinity of the apertures 20 presents extruded sections 24 which lend strength to the material when tightened by the rivets 22. The base portion or section I2 is designed to be secured to a work piece or plate 28 by means of the rivets 22, as clearly shown. It will be noted in this instance that the work piece 28 is also provided with an aperture which registers with the aperture I 4 of the base I2.

Slidably supported upon the base plate or portion I2 is a retainerl member designated generally section 30, v'the opposite extremities of which are secured against separation from the base plate I2 members 32. The opposite s base section 38 and `stud is turned to this position the two .surface of the cams 54.

sides of the plate 38 are formed with flange members 34 nd serve to guide and prevent separation from the retainer 28 meral, 36. A central aperture 31 is provided in the plate 38 foraccommodating the locking stud I6. Theerr'truded portions 24 surrounding the rivet apertures 28 serve to limit the linear move- Ament in opposite directions of the retainer member 38, and in addition the flange members sufficiently overlap the plate 38 to provide limiting abutments for the stud locking'member 36 about to be described. I g

The stud locking member 36 includes a base section 38. oppositely disposed margins of which are slidably guided within the flanges 34 of the retainer 28. Formed integral with and superimposing the base 38 is a resilient stud locking section '48, At one margin the locking section 48 is supported in spaced relation with respectto y the base section 38 by an integral connecting section 42. The opposite margin of the locking section 48 is maintained in spaced relation with respect to the base section or plate 38 by means of overlapping marginalsections 44 and 46. A flap 46a forming an extension of flange 46 overlaps the locking section 48k sumciently so as to prevent outward displacement of the locking section with respect to the underlying base portion 38. Both the base section 38 and the locking section 48 are centrally apertured to accommodate the locking stud I6. Radial slots 48 of the registering radial slots 58 of the locking section serve cross-pin I8.

Attention is directed to the fact that the stud I6 is carried by a work sheet 52. As the stud carried by the work sheet 52 is telescopically associated with the apertures I4 and 31 and ultimately with the radial slots 48 and 58, the crosspin I8'is in position to lockingly engage conipanion cam sections 54. These cams 54' are preferably embossed or extruded from the stock of the locking section 48 and as' the stud I6 is ro.- tated in a counterclo'ckwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, the opposite `extremities of the crosspin I8 move along :by springing the locking section 48 toward its base section- 38, as clearly illustrated in Fig.l 4. The cross-pin ultimately comes to rest in a lockingdetent 56 associated with each cam. When the or sheets 26 and. 52 Iare firmly secured together through the resilient co-actibn of the locking section 48with the cross-pin of the stud member.

To counteract any tendency for the cam sections 541- to collapse or flatten due to the pressure exjertedthereagainst, as well as to limit the degree :of moyement between the locking section 48 and 38 is extruded at 58l These exthef base plate 38, the plate to-,provideja support for the cams.

truded portions 58 lie immediately beneath and conform substantially in contour with the under Particular attention is directed to the 'fact that the stud engaging or shiftalble beneath the parallel flanges 34 of the retainer plate 38. Thisvlinear movement is limited by flanges or abutments 68 formed integral with and extending outwardly from the base plate I2.

'-It will be apparent from lthe foregoing descrip- Vtion that the retainer means or plate 38 is shifty able to a limited extent in opposite .directionsv upon the'base plate l2,

and that the stud engagl of a stud engaging or locking section designated generally by the nuto accommodate the work platesy locking section 36 is linearly- 4 ing or locking member 36 is linearly shiitable in opposite directions within certain limits in directions transverse to the direction of shifting of the retainer plate 38 with respect to the plate l2.

In other words, the retainer plate 38 is linearly the central recess thereof to be adjusted to accommodate varying positions of the stud memlber I6 within predetermined limits. -By having the retainer means 28 shiitable linearly in one direction and the stud locking section shiftable linearly in a transverse direction, adjustment of the aperture in the vsection 36 to accommodate eccentrically positioned studs is accomplished without su jecting the section 36 to any angular displacement such as rotation. Hence, when the entering extremity of the stud member registers with the central aperture of the locking 'section 36 the cross pin of the stud` must occupy the same angular position with respect to the fastener regardless of the position to which the locking section 36 may'have been shifted to accommodate the stud. This would not be true, however,

if the slots 48-58 experienced rotary movement whenever the locking section 36 was shifted,

The importance of the predetermined angular positioning of the cross` pin will be more readily appreciated when it is understood that in many applications the extremity4 of the stud which carries the cross pin is completely hidden from-view when the work piece` such as the sheet 52 is to be attached. likewise, the fastener I8 is hidden from View beneath the surface of the other work the rising cam surface, theredirection. It has been piece or sheet 26. Itis common practice in the use of fastening devices of the type herein described to have the screw driver accommodating slot in the stud head and the cross pin of the stud maintain a predetermined angular relationship with each other about the axis of the stud. By having this arrangement the screw slots all occupy the same position when the work piece 52 is fastened to the work piece 26. After a cowling part, for example, has been secured upon its supporting frame structure, the screw driver slots (see slot 6.2, Fig. 1) should all extend in the same the practice in structures such as airplanes where a series of fasteners are employed at spaced intervals,v along a given line l to so position the fasteners that when the studs are tightened into final position all of the slots in the heads of the studs will be positioned in alignment. With this arrangementr an unsecured stud may be immediately identiile'd'by the misalignment of its slot with respect-to the remaining stud members.

'In some instances it may be advisable. to roughen, as for example by knurling or other surface treatment, portions of the contacting s faces ofthe three parts ldescribed above. In Fig. 6v roughened or knurled areas have been shown which are indicated by the letterk-A.

baseplate I2 and alongN the bottom surface roi.

radial slots 48--58 movement of said stud aforesaid limited shifting the stud engaging member 36. When the parts are finally secured in position these roughened .areas provide an effective interlock between the parts so as to prevent relative shifting or slippage. The contacting surfaces could be treated in other ways to provide increased frictional engagement of the parts when they are clamped tostruction. While the invention yis not limited to the use of sheet metal parts for all of the constituent elements it has been found practical to use sheet metal in most instances. Simple forming and stamping operations may be practiced in the manufacture of the device. In the disclosed embodiment limited movement of the retainer means 28 is accomplished by the use of two abutment elements, to-wit, the flanges 32 which are adapted to be engaged by adjacent margins of the screw locking device 36 and the extruded portions 24 of the base l2 surrounding the rivet receiving apertures 20. In some instances it may be desirable to use only the extruded portions as abutments for limiting the movement of the retainer means 28 in which case it would be unnecessary for the flanges 32 to overlap the opposite margins of vthe member 36. The floating mounting of the retainer 38 on the base plate i2 and the iioating mounting of the stud locking member 36 on the retainer means 28 present a very practical solution of the problem of effecting automatic alignment or registration with stud members.

While for purposes of illustration particular structural embodiments of both the stud member and the locking device therefor have been shown, it should be understood that the invention contemplates the use of other stud and stud locking structural features. The invention should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A fastening device for accommodating a fastening stud member including an apertured base portion adapted to be secured to a part to be fastened, retainer means operatively associated with said base portion and shiftable with respect thereto in given opposite directions to a limited extent, stud engaging means operatively associated with said retainer means and shiftable with respect thereto in given opposite directions transversely with respect to the aforesaid opposite directions of movement of said retainer means, and means for limiting the extent of engaging means. the of the parts serving to facilitate initial registration therewith of said fastening stud member.

2. A fastening device as set forth in claim y1 wherein the stud engaging vmeans comprises a spring member adapted to yield toward the base piortion when the stud member is secured in P081- 3. A fastening device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the stud engaging means comprises a spring member" provided with cam means for receiving the lateral lug of a Stud member.

4. A fastening device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the retainer means posite directions.

5. A fastening device for. accommodating a stud member including an apertured base portion of sheet material adapted to be secured to a part to be fastened, retainer means operatively associated with said base portion and shiftable with respect thereto in given opposite directions a plane parallel to the plane of the base, stud engaging means operatively associated with said retainer means and shiftable with respect thereto in given opposite directions within a plane parallel to said base and transversely with respect to the aforesaid opposite directions of movementV of said retainer means, and means for limitingthe extent of movement of said stud engaging means, the aforesaid limited'shifting of the parts servingto facilitate initial registration therewith of fastening stud member.

6. A fastening device for accommodating a fastening stud member including an apertured base portion of sheet material adapted to be secured to a part to be fastened, a retainer plate adjacent said base portion and shiftable parallel thereto in given opposite directions to a limited extent, stud engaging means operatively associated with said retainer means and shiftable parallel thereto in given opposite directions transversely with respect to the aforesaid opposite directions of movement of said retainer means, and means for limiting the extent of movement of said stud engaging means. the

aforesaid limited shifting of the parts serving to facilitate initial registration therewith oisaid fastening stud member.

'7. A fastening device for accommodating a.

fastening stud member including an apertured base portion adapted to be secured to a part to be fastened, a retainer plate operatively associated with'said base portion and shiftable with respect thereto in a given direction to a limited extent, stud engaging means operatively associated with said retainer means and shiftable with respect thereto in a given direction ytransversely with respect to the aforesaid direction of movement of said retainer means, and flange means for limiting the extent of movement of said stud engaging means, the aforesaid limited shifting of the parts serving to facilitate initial registration therewith of said fastening stud member.

8. A fastening device for accommodating a fastening stud member as set forthin -claim 5 wherein contacting surface areas of the constituent parts coact to prevent slippage between said parts when the in position.

and the stud engag- Y ing means are limited to linear movement in opi said 

